Earlier this month, a study of 14,000 female nurses found that those who frequently drank just one to two drinks a night, had a 30 per cent better chance of overall good health in old age than those who avoided alcohol altogether.

Another recent academic paper suggested that drinking a glass of wine a day may help weight loss.

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Sofie Lieberoth, from the Bispebjerg Hospital in Denmark, said of the latest research: “Whilst excessive alcohol intake can cause health problems, the findings of our study suggest that a moderate intake of 1-6 units can reduce the risk of developing asthma.

“By examining all the factors linked with the development of asthma, we can understand more about what causes the condition and how to prevent it.”

In the study, 19,349 twins aged between 12 and 41 were questioned about their alcohol intake and then tracked over eight years.

It was found that less than 4 per cent of those who drank between one and six units of alcohol a week – less than a glass of wine or pint of beer every night – developed asthma, the long-term lung disease that affects an estimated 5million Britons.

By contrast, those who never or rarely drank were 40 per cent more likely to have asthma while heavy drinkers were at 20 per cent raised risk.

A separate study presented at the conference, which reinforces the importance of moderation in maintaining health, found that being wide around the waist could be linked to a higher risk of developing asthma.

Researchers found that people with greater levels of “belly fat” were 44 per cent more likely to have the breathing disorder, while those who were obese overall were at even higher risk.

Ben Brumpton, from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, said: “Asthma can affect people of all sizes, but our study has highlighted both the individual and combined effect of central obesity and overall obesity on asthma development. Both these measures have an individual impact on asthma and an additive effect when they are combined.”

However he added: “It is not yet clear why this association exists. Central obesity is closely associated with insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome. These factors may play important roles concerning central obesity-related asthma. We will evaluate the effects of these factors on the development of asthma in future studies.”

Researchers tracked 23,245 Norwegian adults who did not have asthma for 11 years, after measuring around their waists and calculating their body mass index, a function of weight and height.

They also asked them to record whether or not they developed asthma, leaving them with shortness of breath and difficulty in breathing.

The results showed that those who had central obesity – belly fat – were 1.44 times more likely to develop asthma and who were also obese overall were at 1.81 times the risk.